Planning 2019 trip

Stephluva

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
DH and I are looking to plan a trip to Tokyo Disney Resort in 2019. I’m pretty well-versed in WDW, but the Tokyo experience is very new to me. What resources did everyone use to plan their trip...guide books, internet research, etc...TIA
:thanks:
 
For TDR, most people start with TDRExplorer.

If you're doing more of Japan than just Tokyo Disney, I would highly recommend checking out Japan-Guide.com. It has a lot of information on transport within Japan as well as many many many cities and tourist destinations. They have a forum as well, but members can be snarky if they feel like you are asking them to plan your trip for you. They are very helpful in helping to tighten itineraries, recommend some unlisted places to visit, and find transportation schedules that might not be available in English.

For hotel reviews I tend to use, Google, Trip Advisor and Booking, though sometimes I just take a chance. Both Tokyo and Kyoto are having a hotel boom right now, and it seems like every year there are new hotels opening in both.

Good luck! I love Japan! :)
 
We started planning our trip about a month or so ago. We are planning to go next May and I'm the same as you: it's very new to me, especially flying out of the country. I really like Tom Bricker's blog (Disney Tourist Blog), Japan Guide, and TDR Explorer. I will answer any questions you have. I have gathered LOTS of information in the last month and am still learning something new every day!
 


I'm also planning on going in May 2019 and using the same resources as Haley R. TDR Explorer has some great youtube videos as well.
 
I'm also planning on going in May 2019 and using the same resources as Haley R. TDR Explorer has some great youtube videos as well.
Really?! That's so cool that we are both going next May. Are you going after Golden Week?
 
Really?! That's so cool that we are both going next May. Are you going after Golden Week?

Yes! But still a little confused about the dates as it looks like one of their holidays fall on Monday the 6th so not sure if it's going to busy that week or not? So as of now, thinking about flying out Sunday the 12th (arrival on the 13th) and then flying back to the US on Friday the 24th. Lower crowds and good weather are key for me. I'm super flexible with my dates however so all should be good.

What about you?
 


Thanks for all the replies so far, I’m glad I’m not alone with being overwhelmed! So far I’ve loved reading all of Tom Brickers posts on Disney Tourist Blog. I’ve also just discovered TDRexplorer, and it seems super helpful.
We’re tentatively looking at September 2019, mostly because we would need time to save up some money as we are already spending a week in WDW this August.
If anyone wants some more resources, Tim Tracker has an excellent YouTube channel and they recently went to Tokyo Disney. The videos are great and so much fun to watch!
 
Yes! But still a little confused about the dates as it looks like one of their holidays fall on Monday the 6th so not sure if it's going to busy that week or not? So as of now, thinking about flying out Sunday the 12th (arrival on the 13th) and then flying back to the US on Friday the 24th. Lower crowds and good weather are key for me. I'm super flexible with my dates however so all should be good.

What about you?
We are planning on leaving the Sunday, the 12th too! We would most likely come back the 28th, but it all depends on what we can get for plane tickets. It's hard since there aren't good ones available to look at yet.

Are you just going to do Disney or see other things, too?
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, I’m glad I’m not alone with being overwhelmed! So far I’ve loved reading all of Tom Brickers posts on Disney Tourist Blog. I’ve also just discovered TDRexplorer, and it seems super helpful.
We’re tentatively looking at September 2019, mostly because we would need time to save up some money as we are already spending a week in WDW this August.
If anyone wants some more resources, Tim Tracker has an excellent YouTube channel and they recently went to Tokyo Disney. The videos are great and so much fun to watch!

I like September in Japan. It can be a little hot depending on if you go in the first part or the latter part.

Are you planning to see more of Japan or just the 2 Disney Parks? If possible, it's really nice to see more of the country. It's my favorite place to visit.
 
I like September in Japan. It can be a little hot depending on if you go in the first part or the latter part.

Are you planning to see more of Japan or just the 2 Disney Parks? If possible, it's really nice to see more of the country. It's my favorite place to visit.
I keep reading that from everyone! It just gets me more excited for our trip next May! I know you didn't ask me, but we are planning on staying in the city in Tokyo, doing Disney, and spending time in Kyoto with day trips to other cities. Maybe this will give the OP some ideas.
 
I keep reading that from everyone! It just gets me more excited for our trip next May! I know you didn't ask me, but we are planning on staying in the city in Tokyo, doing Disney, and spending time in Kyoto with day trips to other cities. Maybe this will give the OP some ideas.

May is also a really nice time to visit. I admit, if I were going in May I would probably try to do the Shibazakura Festival or see if there are any other flower events, but I am really into flowers. I'm hoping we don't miss all the hydrangeas this year. There are a few gardens I am specifically trying to visit for them.

If I were OP, I would try to do more than TDR, but I get that vacation time and finances are limited. I just think unless you live near Japan, it's a shame to travel so far and not see the country at all.

Kyoto is lovely, though it's a lot more crowded than it use to be. I'm interested to see how crowded Takamatsu and Kanazawa are and I'm super excited to be going to Kamikochi and Matsumoto for my first time. I'm hoping in the future to plan a big trip to Kyushu so I can visit: Takachiho, Aso, Yufuin, and Kurokawa. I really would like to go hiking in the Kuju Mountains.

If you don't have the time for Kyoto, Kamakura is a good day trip close to Tokyo.
 
May is also a really nice time to visit. I admit, if I were going in May I would probably try to do the Shibazakura Festival or see if there are any other flower events, but I am really into flowers. I'm hoping we don't miss all the hydrangeas this year. There are a few gardens I am specifically trying to visit for them.

If I were OP, I would try to do more than TDR, but I get that vacation time and finances are limited. I just think unless you live near Japan, it's a shame to travel so far and not see the country at all.

Kyoto is lovely, though it's a lot more crowded than it use to be. I'm interested to see how crowded Takamatsu and Kanazawa are and I'm super excited to be going to Kamikochi and Matsumoto for my first time. I'm hoping in the future to plan a big trip to Kyushu so I can visit: Takachiho, Aso, Yufuin, and Kurokawa. I really would like to go hiking in the Kuju Mountains.

If you don't have the time for Kyoto, Kamakura is a good day trip close to Tokyo.
I’m not super into flowers so we will probably visit a couple parks but not for very long. I mainly am interested in the shopping, Ghibli museum, and Disney. Dh is looking forward to trying different kinds of sushi.

I hope Kyoto isn’t too busy when we are there. I’m looking forward to walking the path along the canal.
 
If anyone wants some more resources, Tim Tracker has an excellent YouTube channel and they recently went to Tokyo Disney. The videos are great and so much fun to watch!

Tim and Jenn were the main reason why I decided to do TDR. Originally, my plan was to do WDW in November and February for the Festival of the Arts at Epcot but after watching their videos, I'm cancelling those trips and will do Tokyo instead. Those Easter decorations were so great so May seemed the best time. Although September/October would have been cool to see the Halloween decor.
 
We are planning on leaving the Sunday, the 12th too! We would most likely come back the 28th, but it all depends on what we can get for plane tickets. It's hard since there aren't good ones available to look at yet.

Are you just going to do Disney or see other things, too?

As of now, it's just going to be about Disney. It hurts to say that but I've got vision limitations that would make it very difficult for me to get around in the city on my own. I've mentioned my plans to a few friends and family who I thought might be interested but I'm not banking on them to join me. I've done WDW, DLR and USR solo as well as a couple of small trips and cruises. My touring style is super mellow and I'm only a half-day park person so I'm planning on doing 8 days in the parks.

I live in Phoenix so the flights are terrible so I'm pricing flights out of LAX which is way better! Right now for my dates, I'm looking at $650 RT via Singapore Airlines which I think is pretty good.
 
As of now, it's just going to be about Disney. It hurts to say that but I've got vision limitations that would make it very difficult for me to get around in the city on my own. I've mentioned my plans to a few friends and family who I thought might be interested but I'm not banking on them to join me. I've done WDW, DLR and USR solo as well as a couple of small trips and cruises. My touring style is super mellow and I'm only a half-day park person so I'm planning on doing 8 days in the parks.

I live in Phoenix so the flights are terrible so I'm pricing flights out of LAX which is way better! Right now for my dates, I'm looking at $650 RT via Singapore Airlines which I think is pretty good.
Oh are you the one that made the thread about going solo? I read that, but didn't connect if it was you or not. Well, if we are there at the same time I might have to meet up with you to at least say hi!

$650 RT?! That's awesome! We're in the midwest so I'm seeing $1200 pp RT our of our airport. I was expecting to pay anywhere from $1000-2000 pp so I'm okay with it. We would rather pay a little more and have a shorter flight. We will most likely fly with United and ANA.
 
Oh are you the one that made the thread about going solo? I read that, but didn't connect if it was you or not. Well, if we are there at the same time I might have to meet up with you to at least say hi!

We definitely need to meet up over some Mike's melon bread or a Chandu Tail. :)
 
If I were OP, I would try to do more than TDR, but I get that vacation time and finances are limited. I just think unless you live near Japan, it's a shame to travel so far and not see the country at all.

We are currently looking to see if we can add a few days to the trip and explore Tokyo. We’d like to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay while in Disney, but does anyone know of any good hotels in Tokyo to make it easier to explore the city?
 
We are currently looking to see if we can add a few days to the trip and explore Tokyo. We’d like to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay while in Disney, but does anyone know of any good hotels in Tokyo to make it easier to explore the city?

Depends on your price range and group size. If money is no object, Tokyo has some superb hotels. If I had the choice between a room at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and at the Tokyo Station Hotel, it's the Tokyo Station, hands down. The service is way way way better.

My next trip I'm on a bit more of a budget so I am doing a split stay with 3 nights at a considerably cheaper hotel and 2 at a luxury hotel. If you can make the time, a day trip to Kamkura is totally worth it.
 
We are currently looking to see if we can add a few days to the trip and explore Tokyo. We’d like to stay at the Hilton Tokyo Bay while in Disney, but does anyone know of any good hotels in Tokyo to make it easier to explore the city?
We are also spending some time in Tokyo because we have never been to Japan and I'm not sure if we will ever be back again. We found an AirBnB host that is wonderful and has already agreed to take us in. They have already attained the necessary license that Japan is requiring now for people to rent out their homes/apartments.
 

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